AIR_Aug'2012

ISSUE FIFTEEN | AUGUST

2012

Produced in International Media Production Zone

Daisy Lowe

BERNIE ECCLESTONE A weekend with the bespectacled billionaire boss of Formula One

WORTH THE WAIT? The verdict on Pagani’s first car for more than 20 years

PELÉ Football’s greatest ever player on Messi, racism and the need for change

VERSACE HOME The late Gianni’s Miami mansion up for sale as America’s costliest estate

ANTICIPATION

THE FINE JEWELLERY ROOM

+44 (0)20 7730 1234 harrods.com

CONTENTS / FE ATURES

Managing Director Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director John Thatcher Advertisement Director Chris Capstick chris@hotmediapublishing.com

Thirty Six

The world according to Daisy Lowe

Group Editor Laura Binder laura@hotmediapublishing.com

Supermodel in-the-making, Daisy talks forensic science, getting old, and why she’ll never be an It-girl.

Sub Editor Hazel Plush hazel@hotmediapublishing.com

Forty Two

Weekend at Bernie’s

Designer Adam Sneade

F1 legend Bernie Ecclestone invites AIR to his London penthouse to chat loyalty, politics, and how not to buy a football team.

Designer / Illustrator Vanessa Arnaud Production Manager Haneef Abdul

Fifty Two

The greatest

Senior Advertisement Manager Stefanie Morgner stefanie@hotmediapublishing.com

As Brazil starts the countdown to the next World Cup, we’re granted an exclusive audience with the country’s icon, Pelé.

Advertisement Manager Sukaina Hussein sukaina@hotmediapublishing.com

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CONTENTS / REGUL ARS

Fourteen

Thirty

Sixty Two

The global guide to new releases, hot happenings and the plain in vogue.

A glimpse of the ultimate gent’s majlis, and how to invest in statement ceramics.

AIR meets the female chefs out to address the gender imbalance in fine dining.

Twenty Five

Thirty Two

Sixty Six

The latest limited edition tourbillon from Girard Perregaux.

Louis Vuitton is heading back to its roots – AIR takes a look at its Parisian digs.

Venture to Canada this month to behold the finest natural phenomena.

Twenty Six

Fifty Eight

Seventy Two

AIR views the crème de la crème of real estate: The Versace Mansion, Miami.

With a top speed of 370kph, the Pagani Huayra means business. AIR takes a ride.

Bill Walshe, CEO of Viceroy Hotel Group, reveals his trusted principles.

Radar

Timepieces

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in AIR.

Art & design

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Gastronomy

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GAMA AVIATION

August 2012

WELCOME ONBOARD

I’m delighted to welcome you to the August edition of AIR, Gama’s in-flight magazine.

I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about our global business aviation group and the services we provide as you browse through the pages.

Gama is one of the world’s largest business jet operators – we have nearly 80 business jets operating all around the globe. Established in the United Kingdom in 1983, we’ve grown to have bases throughout the Middle East, Europe and North & South America as well as operating licences issued by the UAE, UK, US and Bermudan Authorities. As well as providing aircraft management and charter services, the group also provides aircraft maintenance, avionics design and installation, aviation software, aircraft cleaning and leasing services to a wide range of clients.

Gama’s expansion in the Middle East continues to progress well; our regional fleet has grown significantly over the past twelve months with the arrival of a number of aircraft including the Bombardier Global XRS and the Airbus A318, along with the continued development of our regional footprint and services. Gama is now operating the only business aviation FBO at Sharjah International Airport, which is proving to be a very popular facilty for Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, as well as a practical alternative to Dubai International Airport.

Business aviation remains one of the best tools available to corporations and individuals who want to make time for themselves and it’s been pleasing to see a continued resurgence in charter flights in 2012 – the world is travelling for business again and developing much needed revenue for the global economy.

Thank you for choosing Gama – welcome onboard.

Dave Edwards Managing Director Gama Aviation

Contact details: charter.mena@gamagroup.com gamagroup.com

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GAMA AVIATION NEWS GAMA AVIATION ANNOUNCES EXPANSION INTO SAUDI ARABIA

Jeddah will be Gama’s second Middle East base

Gama Group MENA FZE, part of the Gama Group, the global business aviation services company, recently announced that it is to expand its services into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With Imitiaz Company for Aviation Services LLC as a strategic partner in Saudi Arabia, the new joint venture company, to be known as Gama Aviation, plans to be operational in June from Jeddah, Saudi’s second largest city and a vital centre for commerce and tourism.

The Imitiaz Company, headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is headed by some of the Kingdom’s most experienced aviation professionals.

This is an expansion in the Middle East for the Gama Group, a long established aircraft charter, management and maintenance business company now in its 29th year, which set up in Sharjah and Dubai three years ago. The company will specialise in aircraft management and aims to operate charter services under its own Saudi GACA Part 135 Air Carrier certificate. The next step will be to add aircraft maintenance and consultancy services, replicating the company’s expertise in Europe, USA and the Middle East. Gama’s first base will be at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport where it will employ around five people in the start up phase. Gama Aviation in Saudi Arabia will be overseen by Gama’s Regional Managing Director, Dave Edwards.

“This is a significant announcement for Gama and is the culmination of a substantial period of planning and negotiation,” said Gama CEO Marwan Abdel Khalek. “We are delighted to have Imitiaz LLC as our strategic partner in this venture, which will bring to Gama many years of experience in the Kingdom. Breaking into the important Saudi market, the biggest market for business aviation in the Middle East, is a huge achievement and a long held wish of Gama. This milestone reflects

a considerable amount of hard work by the team at Gama and our ability to demonstrate how the Gama culture and business model could be adopted in Saudi.

GAMA GROUP OPENS ITS HONG KONG OPERATING BASE Gama Aviation’s new Hong Kong location mirrors operations in Europe, USA and the Middle East. The new base offers its clients aircraft management and charter services throughout the region.

In working together with Gama Charters Inc, Gama Asia can provide operations through its in-house FAA Part 135.

Gama’s new Hong Kong based operation is led by Neil Gibson. Neil joined Gama earlier this year and has a wealth of industry knowledge. Most recently Neil led PremiAir’s Charter & Management Division following other key posts within the business aviation community including CEO of TAG Aviation Asia, Managing Director of TAG Aviation UK and CEO of TAG Australia. “I am delighted to be able to lead our new Asia-based operations” said Gibson, Managing Director, Gama Aviation Asia.

“I know Gama’s broad international business aviation experience gained over 30 years, together with our proactive efforts to better serve Asia’s business aviation community will be very much appreciated.”

In addition to establishing Gama’s Hong Kong base, Neil is also responsible for developing further Gama’s relationship with Asia Miles. Gama is the exclusive business aviation services provider within the Asia Miles loyalty programme.

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Gama Aviation’s Middle Eastern fleet grows with the addition of the airbus ACJ318 Gama Aviation FZC, the business aviation charter and management company, has added a new business aircraft type to its UAEbased f leet – its first Airbus ACJ318.

Configured with a 14seat VIP configuration, the ACJ becomes the largest aircraft in the company’s Middle East f leet and, for Gama globally, its 11th manufacturer type.

The new aircraft is being operated and managed by Gama on behalf of a private owner, based out of Sharjah International Airport.

“We welcome the increasing involvement of experienced companies such as Gama Aviation with the growing f leet of Airbus corporate jets, which are the new top-end of the market because they deliver the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet,” says Airbus Corporate Jets Vice President Francois Chazelle.

The arrival of the Airbus means that Gama now operates a f leet of aircraft made by every major business jet manufacturer in the world.

500,000 Hours 200,000 Flights 28 Years

Gama Aviation Limited Business Aviation Centre Farnborough Airport Farnborough Hampshire GU14 6XA United Kingdom Tel: +44 1252 553000 Email: charter.eu@gamagroup.com Gama Aviation FZC Building 6EB Office 550 PO Box 54912 Dubai Airport Freezone Dubai United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 609 1688 Email: charter.mena@gamagroup.com Gama Aviation, Inc. Airport Business Center 611 Access Road Stratford

www.gamagroup.com

CT 06615

Business Aircraft Management, Charter,

United States

Maintenance, Design and Installation,

Tel: +1 800 468 1110

FBO Services, Valeting and Aviation Software.

Email: charter.usa@gamagroup.com

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GAMA AVIATION NEWS The Gama Group has announced that it will open a new Swiss base at Geneva Airport

Gama Aviation Geneva will offer aircraft management services to existing and potential customers and will also be aiming for a full Swiss AOC by the end of the year.

The Gama Aviation office will be located within Geneva Airport’s Executive Terminal where the new operation will be led by general manager, Captain Hamish Ross.

Captain Ross has spent over 30 years as an instructor of professional pilot licences, corporate pilot and manager of aviation companies. Most recently Captain Ross was based in Sharjah as Gama Aviation FZE’s director of flight operations. During the past two years he has been instrumental in developing the flight operations side of Gama’s United Arab Emirates’ AOC. “I am delighted to be able to lead Gama’s Swiss based operation” said Captain Ross. “Our new facilities in Geneva complement the recent significant growth in Gama’s global offering, now numbering over 30 operational bases around the world. Geneva is located at the centre of modern Europe, and Switzerland offers political and financial stability for the long term.

Together these factors create a beneficial business environment very attractive to Gama Aviation’s clients, present and future. We

want to ensure that those clients are able to choose a locally based company that offers the highest standards of safety and efficiency for their aircraft management or charter needs.”

The Gama Group has announced that it will open a new Swiss base at Geneva Airport.

Gama Aviation Geneva will offer aircraft management services to existing and potential customers and will also be aiming for a full Swiss AOC by the end of the year.

The Gama Aviation office will be located within Geneva Airport’s Executive Terminal where the new operation will be led by general manager, Captain Hamish Ross.

Captain Ross has spent over 30 years as an instructor of professional pilot licences, corporate pilot and manager of aviation companies. Most recently Captain Ross was based in Sharjah as Gama Aviation FZE’s director of flight operations. During the past two years he has been instrumental in developing the flight operations side of Gama’s United Arab Emirates’ AOC. “I am delighted to be able to lead Gama’s Swiss based operation” said Captain Ross. “Our new facilities in Geneva complement the recent significant growth in Gama’s global offering, now numbering over 30 operational bases around the world. Geneva is located at the centre of modern Europe, and Switzerland offers political and financial stability for the long term.

Together these factors create a beneficial business environment very attractive to Gama Aviation’s clients, present and future. We want to ensure that those clients are able to choose a locally based company that offers the highest standards of safety and efficiency for their aircraft management or charter needs.”

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GAMA’S SHARJAH FBO POSTS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH Gama Group, the global business aviation and services company is pleased to report significant growth in business aviation activities at its Sharjah International Airport base.

Gama Aviation FZE’s creation of a new FBO (Fixed Base Operation) at Sharjah International Airport earlier this year has resulted in significant growth in business jet movements through the United Arab Emirates’ newest Executive Terminal facility. Key highlights include: •

•

•

•

•

A 25% increase in the number of business jet movements in the first quarter of 2012 versus the first quarter of 2011 A doubling of movements during April 2012, compared with April 2011.

A further 20 operators and flight support agencies have signed up for handling agreements with Gama’s Sharjah FBO Since taking over the facility five months ago Gama is consistently achieving average 30 minute aircraft turnaround times Landing to chocks’ time has been reduced to an average six minutes.

Gama Aviation took over responsibility for all business and general aviation aircraft handling at Sharjah International Airport in January this year.

“We’re really pleased with these initial positive results from our first quarter at Sharjah,” said Dave Edwards, Managing Director, Gama Aviation FZC. “Our Sharjah FBO has very quickly established itself as a ‘stress-free’ gateway for business and private visitors to Sharjah, Dubai and the Northern Emirates and the first choice technical stop for business jet operators.”

Just a 10 minute drive from Sharjah City Centre and a 20 minute drive or five minute helicopter ride to and from downtown Dubai, Gama’s Sharjah FBO is closer to the business district of Dubai than the new World Central Airport.

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RADAR

> For years she was overlooked by the art establishment that’s now dotty for her, but this month 83-year-old Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama sees her popularity extend to the mainstream as the results of her artistic alliance with Louis Vuitton hit premium stores globally.

London’s Selfridges teams it with an exclusive, mustsee Kusama design spread across its famous windows.

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RADAR Strips tease That the Beatles dominated ’60s pop culture is of course well known by all, but that their influence extended to multiple comic books is a fact long forgotten by all but their most ardent fans. A new book to be released next month compiles the best of the comic strips to feature the Fab Four – in terms of both stories and illustrations – and presents them in order of the decade they were published, with a timeline of important Beatles dates forwarding each chapter. The result is a uniquely brilliant record of the life and times of history’s most famous band. rizzoliusa.com

> 50 years ago this month Marilyn Monroe passed away, her body found in bed at her LA home, an empty bottle of sleeping pills at her side.

Conspiracy theorists maintain that her death wasn’t the result of a self-administered overdose as claimed, with some suggesting foul play, and it’s one of the reasons why we remain fascinated by the movie star decades on. Just a few weeks before she died, Monroe’s most trusted photographer Lawrence Schiller took this picture of her as she celebrated her 36th and last birthday, and it forms part of his brilliant book Marilyn & Me (Taschen), which captures perfectly the other reasons for the screen siren’s enduring popularity.

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Score draw The new English Premiership season kicks off this month (August 18), giving us the perfect excuse to show these sublime illustrations by graphic designer Steve Welsh. They form part of a series of football-inspired artworks available to buy in various forms – t-shirts, framed prints, stretch canvases – from his website society6.com/ miniboro. In addition to those shown here you’ll find illustrations of players like Pelé, depicted during his Santos days, Eric Cantona, drawn as the king in a pack of playing cards, and former Arsenal great Dennis Bergkamp, who’s given a Top Gun style makeover to portray his nickname Ice Man. - 17 -

CRITIQUE

Film Cosmopolis

David Cronenberg A 28-year-old financier, Wall Street’s golden boy Eric Packer, watches as his empire crumbles – and discovers a plot to assassinate him. Based on Don DeLillo’s modernist novel.

AT BEST: “This is riveting cinema, as fine as anything Cronenberg has done.” Observer AT WORST: “An airless and inert expression of a capitalist kingpin’s odyssey.” Hollywood Reporter

360

Fernando Meirelles In an uncompromising exposé of a web of relationships that reaches all over the world, the worst of human nature and its temptations are laid bare.

AT BEST: “A film of beautiful moments, elegant structure and vivid locations.” London Evening Standard AT WORST: “The cast have scant opportunity to showboat and character development is, at best, limited.” The Telegraph

Celeste and Jesse Forever

Lawless

Lee Toland Krieger Celeste, the owner of a successful business, is on her way up. Jesse, her unemployed husband, is on his way down – can their marriage last?

AT BEST: “A likable and bittersweet relationship film that doesn’t telegraph its intentions.” Hollywood Reporter AT WORST: “This fusion of snark and sincerity has a slickness that rings increasingly hollow.” Variety

John Hillcoat A true tale of the infamous Bondurant Brothers, bootlegging siblings who tried their luck at the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia.

AT BEST: “Brisk, bloody... the most immaculately barbered film in recent memory.” LA Weekly AT WORST: “Lawless tries to be flawless; as a movie, it’s often listless – lifeless.” TIME

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Books The pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers is perhaps the finest in dance history, but it wasn’t Fred’s first partnership: before Ginger, there was Adele – his sister. The pair were hoofers on Broadway until 1932, their chemistry feted as the best on the strip – but when Adele left the stage to marry Lord Charles Cavendish, the dream was over.

Kathleen Riley’s The Astaires peers into the archives and plucks out the story of this oft-overlooked pairing – a cause célèbre among critics.

“Riley performs the great service of giving us the history before the history,” enthuses The Telegraph’s Toni Bentley. “It’s a love story rarely told, of that between a sister and her brother, one bonded in blood. It’s also the tale of one more relentlessly devoted stage mother.” No footage remains of Adele – and, writing in The Guardian, Kathryn Hughes admires Riley’s ambitious undertaking: “Every sentence shines with the author’s love of her dual subjects... Her book is in part a meditation on the impossibility of capturing a performance, or series of performances, that happened 80 years ago.”

Beautiful Ruins, a novel by Jess Walters, is proving chewy fodder for the critics this month. With a narrative that flits between 1960s and modernday Hollywood, it’s a strident read that follows a series of tangled love stories.

From the Old Hollywood starlet dying of stomach cancer, to the botoxed wannabees of modern-day Tinseltown, the cast is eclectic – and even Richard Burton makes an appearance. It’s a formula that Helen Schulman of The New York Times can’t resist: “The surprising and witty novel of social criticism that flows from its lush, romantic opening offers so much more than just entertainment... Walter is simply great on how we live now, and on how we lived then and now, here and there.” Allegra Goodman of The Washington Post, however, is far from charmed: “There are cringe-inducing passages... There are glitches. Time travelling, cross cutting, inter-textual and cross-cultural, this is The English Patient without the poetry or history.”

Author of the Mars trilogy, Kim Stanley Robinson is a modern-day master of the science fiction genre.

In 2312, the title of his latest epic and the year in which it is set, the universe is on its knees, ravaged by greed. The plot – which balances savage destruction with blossoming romance – is ambitious, adorned with Stanley’s signature intricacies. For Jeff VanderMeer of LA Times, it’s a standout success: “A treasured gift to fans of passionate storytelling”, peppered with “moments of utterly jaw-dropping audacity. [...] There is a scene in which readers, especially those aware of our current environmental issues, may literally gasp and be moved half to tears.” The Slate’s Choire Sicha is equally ebullient: “Robinson glosses over plotty things that a writer would normally hammer out in boring detail, and then he expends all his energy and time on the magical moments. [The novel] is so secure and comprehensive that it reads as an account of the past.”

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Art Believe it or not, Edvard Munch was no one-trick pony.

The Scream, the most famous of his daubings, was recently sold to New York financier Leon Black for $120m – a record figure for art at auction – but could you name a second Munch work? At The Modern Eye, a new exhibition at London’s Tate Modern, The Scream is conspicuous in its absence, much to The Independent’s Charles Darwent’s fascination: “With no Scream pictures to steal the show, the Norwegian hypochondriac is seen in a new light... See it if you can.” But what’s left is unnerving stuff. Munch the hypochondriac, the obsessed, is laid bare: “[His] fascination is not only with bodily illness but with psychic ones. Alongside images of operating tables and deathbed scenes are others of pathological mental states”, writes Darwent. For Brian Sewell of London Evening Standard, it’s a rare insight into the artist’s character: “We sense his vanity and narcissism; we see him role-playing as prisoner of doubt and master of self-confidence... [The works] are useful reminders of how wretched a painter Munch so often was and how early the wretchedness set in.”

Across town, Yoko Ono’s To The Light at the Serpentine Gallery is proving much more palatable. “When you walk into the gallery [...] the wave of hippie idealism that hits you feels more refreshing than any old cliché has any right to”, gushes Huffington Post’s Sam Parker. “She’s an artist

who wants to make you smile, and so much of what’s on display here does that with an ease and precision that shames artists half her age.” As with many of Ono’s shows, audience participation is paramount – but Tabish Khan of Londonist is cynical: “At the middle of the transparent perspex maze is a pool of water offering a rather trite message about self-discovery. Much of Ono’s work would benefit from being more understated... The saccharine nature of this display may grate on some visitors.”

For a glimpse of Japanese design at its most intricate, visitors to Sydney this month should venture to Art Gallery NSW. This is the last chance to see a retrospective of Asian design stalwart Kamisaka Sekka, whose Rinpa creations are considered to be some of the best in the world. Rinpa originated in the 17th-century, and Sekka’s lacquerware, ceramics and textiles are so fragile that not all can be displayed for the month-long exhibition (it will close for two days while the works are changed over). There’s a contemporary element, too: Australian designer Akira Isogawa will contribute a number of specially-crafted kimonos and dresses. “Japanese art is not confined to painting or sculpture as it tends to be in the West, with distinctions about what constitutes ‘fine art’ or ‘applied arts’,” explains Sydney Morning Herald’s Steve Meacham.

Definitely worth a look if you’re heading Down Under.

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Image: Edvard Munch, The Sun, 1912 / Tate Modern

CRITIQUE

Image: The Mikao, Opera Queensland

Theatre The quirky world of Gilbert and Sullivan adds spice to many a repertoire; this month sees Opera Queensland’s interpretation of The Mikado at Sydney’s Conservatorium Theatre.

As with many of the duo’s creations, the operetta is a witty characterled tale – and notoriously tricky to perform. For Kelli Rogers of Australian Stage, the cast are more than a match: “Eugene Gilfedder [as Ko-Ko] was highly engaging and entertaining. The romantic leads, [Dominic Walsh and Kristy Swift] gave fine, high spirited and delightful performances.” It’s a visual treat too: “[The set] is like a decadent layer cake, each style element on top of the other,” raves Rogers – and Shirley Way, of Brisbane’s News Bites, agrees: “Simone Romaniuk has designed light portable sets and costumes that are simple, stylish and give a nod to modern Hello Kitty culture... The Mikado slips us the sake in a cup of warm English tea. May it be on your musical list this winter.”

No playwright’s canon has been ‘re-imagined’ (some would say plundered) more than that of William Shakespeare – and Mexican dramatist Luis Mario Moncada is the latest to cast his mark on the Bard’s legacy. A Soldier in Every Son (RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon) blends the rise of the Aztec empire with key Shakespearean characterisation and plot – well, at least on paper. “The best intentions sometimes go awry,” says The Guardian’s Michael Billington gamely.

“This joint venture between the RSC and Mexico’s National Theatre has one gaping in disbelief: it makes about as much sense as the Henry VI trilogy might in Acapulco.” The production has been easy fodder ever since it bellyflopped on to the stage, but Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph is, at least, a little charitable: “This is a highly flawed endeavour, [but] I still applaud its spirit of curiosity and healthy lust to avoid Anglo-centrism.”

Pina Bausch’s World Cities, a series of internationally-themed dance productions, has caused a stir among London’s Sadler’s Wells devotees.

“Let us conclude,” writes The Arts Desk’s James Woodall, “that Pina Bausch was not a choreographer.” The final installment of the bill, entitled Wiesenland, was one of the more successful creations. “Bausch is a tease, a frustrator, an original artist,” admits Woodall. “Wiesenland clearly

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evokes the good things of the human earth, fecundity, nature and nurture.”

The Stage’s Katie Colombus is a fan: “In a typically intense, surreal and emotionally-frank work, the company conveys their joi de vivre at the adventure of travel through movement and speech... If Bausch has taught us anything in her choreographic legacy, it is a lesson in the human condition – a search for meaning, and what lies at the heart of longing and desire.”

OFFSHORE COMPANIES, TRUSTS AND BANKING

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TIMEPIECES

> New from Gerard Perregaux is an updated version of its highly prized tourbillon with three gold bridges.

Carved from pink gold, its case measures 41mm, is attached to an alligator strap and comes with or without a ring of 88 baguette diamonds at its edge (with priced at $406,500; without priced at $211,500). The former is limited to 18 pieces, the latter to 50.

> Since its launch in 1917, Cartier’s Tank Watch has appeared with multiple embellishments, yet its distinctive rectangular face and sleek lines were instantly recognisable whatever the guise and its place among the most iconic timepieces of all assured long before now. One of the world’s first pieces to adopt a rectangular face

(the first, in 1904, was also a Cartier model) it’s a watch made famous by the likes of Andy Warhol and, before him, Clark Gabel – and one whose 125year anniversary is celebrated in a new book, Cartier: The Tank Watch, released next month. It is comprised of over 300 illustrations and is a fantastic account for collectors of this timepiece to own.

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ART & DESIGN

Back to the future The success of contemporary Arabic art lies in the region’s deep-rooted heritage – and the vision of a new generation

T

he Middle East’s contemporary art scene is coming of age: the region’s modern biennials and art fairs tell the stories of new forms, new disciplines – tentative ventures at first, but now increasingly confident. The focus is on the future, finding a sense of belonging in the new Arab world – and reconciling strong traditions with a need to break free from them. It’s a dialogue that’s grown from a murmur to a roar – but few artists are as fluent as Khalid Shafar. Inspired by his Emirati roots, the designer transforms elements of his mother culture into works that fit the international lifestyle now synonymous with Dubai.

No cultural detail is safe from Shafar: one of his latest pieces, the Arabi chandelier, is derived from the form, shape and materials of national dress. “It is created out of circular egaals and silk ropes,” explains the artist. “Their shadows and reflections are cast across the room. The outcome is a classically-shaped chandelier as a contemporary object, where traditional handmade materials are combined with modern ones.” The piece was commissioned by Beirut’s Carwan Gallery for the ‘Contemporary Perspectives in Middle Eastern Crafts’ exhibition, and joins the artist’s striking space divider – also constructed of egaals and silk.

For Shafar, who shares his time between the Emirates and New Zealand, the Carwan show sparked a natural fascination. “Some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood are of the pristine desert, the endless sand dunes, camels and palm trees,” he says. “I dedicated three pieces of my 2012 collection to the palm. The line reflects the tree, from the material to the shape, and the tables feature colourful Sarrood woven tops.” The pieces, ever-personal, allowed the artist to reconcile his roots with the vision of modern design: “The Emirati craftswomen who created the mats shared with me their stories from the past. The line is a tribute to them, and the many Emirati craftswomen before them, and this dying craft.”

Talli, the traditional embroidery technique, provided inspiration for the T chandelier, a striking

1.

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2.

marriage of textiles and light fixtures.

“All nations differ in their choice of clothes and costumes just as they differ in their traditions and languages,” explains Shafar.

“Religious principles and traditions played major roles in fashioning the costume of local Emirati.

In the UAE, Talli is one of the original clothes tailoring crafts. Different shapes are created by crossing and weaving the threads in intricate patterns; this is another interpretation of an old craft in a contemporary design.”

The modern dialogue between identity and ambition is ever-vibrant, and Shafar’s playful explorations continue to intrigue collectors from all over the world. And with a growing bounty of Arabic art fairs, you can expect to see more.

The wealth of Middle Eastern traditions will no doubt continue to be a trove of inspiration for Shafar and his contemporaries – in turn, creating fascinating investments for the modern art connoisseur. khalidshafar.co.nz

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Arabi chandelier Arabi space divider The Palm coat stand

3.

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ART & DESIGN

MIAMI NICE

The late Gianni Versace’s Miami home is up for sale – but what will its $125million price tag get you?

I

n the heart of South Beach, just across the street from the Atlantic Ocean, the Versace Mansion isn’t just a prime piece of real estate – it’s a Miami institution in its own right.

And now, the eyes of the world’s property moguls are fixed firmly on its gilded gates: this iconic residence has just been released onto the market.

Built in the 1930s by Alden Freeman, a philanthropist and architect, the original house was modelled on the Dominican Republic’s Alcazar de Colon mansion – home of Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus. It wasn’t until 1992,

however, that the plot’s potential was truly realised: Gianni Versace purchased the property and set about augmenting it in true Versace style. A lavish 6,100 square-foot south wing was added, and a team of artisans laid out a mosaic-covered courtyard.

Frescos were hand-painted on the walls and ceilings, and a gold-lined swimming pool was installed.

An estimated $33million was invested in the property, and celebrities flocked from all over the world to witness this reverie, its towering pool-side palms providing a near-impenetrable wall against the paparazzi’s lenses. Movie deals were signed, couture outfits were measured; the mansion was the

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centre of the fashionistas’ universe.

The dream came to an abrupt end in 1997, however, in one of Miami’s most shocking events: Versace was shot on the mansion’s front steps. The estate was put on the market, and was purchased by Peter Loftin for a mere $19million. Barton G Group took up the lease and opened one of the strip’s most exclusive hotels: The Villa

By Barton G. The property remains a glittering vision of unbridled opulence: Italian marble, an army of personal butlers and gold-trimmed décor at every turn. Big-name guests continue to frequent the ten frescoed suites, tempted by Versace’s signature touches and a piece of haute couture history. coldwellbanker.com

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INTERIORS

FIT FOR A KING

Dubai-based design house Best Interiors turns a creative hand to spaces of every ilk, from private residences to jets and yachts. Here its senior designer, Adrian Ariscon, shares a glimpse of a male-only majlis created for a Fujairah palace

T

he majlis is traditionally the heart of any Arabic home, so it is important to make use of the space appropriately whilst creating a sense of richness and luxury.

For this gentleman’s majlis, our client’s main specification was to utilise the space effectively, and create innovative, sophisticated areas to accommodate his guests and family members. He wanted to create a feeling of being in a luxury hotel, so quality was everything.

We achieved this by incorporating and positioning various styles of well-designed furniture, which creates a comforting and relaxing environment, key for any majlis.

The overall style was inspired by the French Louis XVI period. The colour palettes are earth tones, which we used

to give the room a feeling of richness and depth. We treated the walls in white and green, resplendent with sumptuous wall coverings, which add luxury. Simple plaster mouldings have been used to elevate and refine the room, in keeping with the Louis XVI style. To add a further dynamic to the space, the colour scheme has been offset by contemporary English furniture – a mixture of leather and cushioned seats with simple detailing on the wood mouldings.

This style is overwhelmingly Western, interwoven with small elements of local Arabic design, for a truly blended overall effect. European-inspired styling has become a key fixture in residential interior design in the Middle East. Many of our clients have an overwhelming desire to recreate Western styles of interior design within their homes, and this merges the two with masculine effect.

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> 100 Interiors Around the World spotlights interiors from no less than six continents, bringing a smorgasbord of spaces sure to inspire any one of your residences, whichever corner of the globe it is set. Some 100 rooms adorn the read’s glossy pages, from rustic minimalism to eclectic urban apartments, and taking you from Cuba to Japan.

Available at taschen.com

SARA COSGROVE Harrods head of interior design hails the revival of ceramics in home décor I have an innate passion for textures in interiors and believe that a successfully layered look can only be achieved by combining different tactile components.

A revival in ceramics and porcelain as mediums for decorative objects has enabled designers to mix a traditional material into interiors in a modern way, even extending to lighting and wall or floor finishes.

I recognised this trend as something to shout about when I came across installations by several luxury ceramic and porcelain brands in Paris this spring. A brand that caught my eye was Bernardaud, who displayed a group of beautiful plates in an assortment of styles and sizes in a cluster on a wall, like works of art. Equally captivating were the pieces by Jean Boggio who unveiled an exotic collection of furniture and accessories in a spectrum of colours. I was so taken with the collection I simply had to work it into the scheme of a Chelsea town house, including the porcelain Extraordinary Garden screens, which added a theatrical touch to the main living space.

Even legendary rock stars are getting in on the trend: LEA Ceramiche has collaborated with Lenny Kravitz to design a range of contemporary ceramic wall tiles to infuse a rock ‘n’ roll edge in the home. ‘Goccia’ is one option that brings an innovative dimension thanks to the dynamic texture of the tile.

I couldn’t end without a mention of the venerable porcelain house Haviland, which continues to produce a glittering collection of delicately-embellished dinner plates and tableware with opulent metallic glazes; guaranteed to add wow-factor to any dinner table setting. thestudioatharrods.com

Time for tea?

Vibrant Arabesque tea sets from Kahen Art, Khmissa and Martine Goron are now available at Harvey Nichols Dubai, presenting an altogether more stylish way to sip Arabic teas and coffee. Handblown glass in bold hues contrasts with the more traditionallyengraved silverware. harveynichols.com

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JEWELLERY

Mother of Pearl

75 years since they began, Paspaley’s recent harvests have produced its finest pearls yet – AIR dives into the brand’s rich sea-faring history

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P

erusing strands of pearls in one of Paspaley’s Dubai-based boutiques, it was all too easy to forget that these gems, rolling smoothly between my fingertips, started in the depths of the sea – in the clear waters of outer North West Australia, to be precise. For Paspaley, it’s a journey that goes even deeper, back to the 1930s, through three generations and to its present day position – as parent of some of the most sought-after pearls on the planet, in demand by jewellery houses the world over.

Stood in one such boutique, surrounded by everything from its signature classic strand (very Audrey Hepburn) to diamond, ruby and emerald-encrusted necklaces (more Elizabeth Taylor), I discovered just how deep Paspaley’s roots went. At the very start was Nicholas Paspaley Snr, a master pearler of the thirties – an era when mother-ofpearl shells were used for buttons. But, after World War II, the invention of plastic buttons usurped the need for shells, leaving West Australia pearling literally high and dry: fleets were abandoned, luggers left to rot along stretches of sandy beach. Pleasingly for latter-day pearl lovers, Paspaley Snr had better ideas: to use the giant Pinctada Maxima

Images: Supplied Words: Laura Binder

‘Paspaley’s keshi-pearl necklace, collected over 30 years, is a one off’ oyster to cultivate beautiful natural pearls. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, the Paspaley name lives on: “When I travel the world and see Paspaley pearls on display in leading jewellery houses, it always takes me back to the source,” Nick Paspaley, the brand’s chairman and son of the late Nicholas Paspaley Snr, told AIR. “Back to my father’s grand vision and a journey that involves so many years, so many miles and so many memories. And now we have our own boutiques worldwide in which to house these magnificent gems that we have produced in harmony with nature.”

Despite the passing of some 75 years, the same painstaking pearling process takes shape off the coast of Broome, and from the Paspaley 4 (“the world’s most advanced pearling vessel”). There pearls are nurtured for two years before being extracted from the Pinctada Maxima shell – a procedure so delicate that the oyster lives on to produce another pea-sized gem. (Though in fact, I’m told pearls range from 10mm to 20mm and are anything from perfectly round to a baroque shape.) On board, sorters roll the harvest on long-ridged trays in the quest to achieve a beautiful strand – some of which take anywhere from seven and 10 years to assemble. “Australian South Sea pearls are graded according to the ‘five virtues’ grading system,” CEO James Paspaley told me. “This process studies the size, shape, colour, lustre and complexion of each pearl. The highest-graded pearls from this process are kept by Paspaley and passed onto our team of master

jewellers to create designs available exclusively for sale in Paspaley boutiques.” One such success story is Paspaley’s keshi-pearl necklace – collected over 30 years, it’s a one off.

“To create a perfect Paspaley strand is a masterful work of art and patience,” affirms James. “Matching just one pair of gem-quality pearls can at times mean sorting through an entire pearl harvest, and meticulously hand-matching more than 30 pearls.”

And it seems generations of pearl divers needn’t hang up their flippers any time soon: 2011’s sorting bench revealed the brand’s finest harvest yet. “They’re super strands,” James said on seeing last year’s pearls roll in. “A super strand is the pinnacle of all strands in terms of quality and natural beauty. These strands are the ‘best in breed’, exceptional, beautiful, rare.” What’s more, it’s a strand that would usually take three to five harvests to achieve.

Pearling, then, is booming once again.

At Paspaley’s Dubai boutique I looked over the results of the harvest. “One such strand was so exquisite we named it after my grandmother, Vivienne,” says James. “This impeccable-quality strand features 26 perfectly-graduated round pearls of extraordinary lustre, ranging from 17 to 21mm in size.” And, James revealed, such a beauty has a “price tag to match.”

As for the woman to wear such a piece, “we don’t tend to disclose information about our clientele,” admits James.

“For us, our pleasure comes from finding the perfect pearl to perfectly match the woman who wears it.” paspaley.com

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JEWELLERY

L

23, Place Vendôme How Louis Vuitton is going home

ouis Vuitton has returned to its roots by opening its first fine jewellery and watchmaking store on 23, Place Vendôme: an address that’s just a short Parisian stroll from 4, rue Neuve des Capucines – where Louis Vuitton himself opened his first boutique in 1854.

The new store (and adjacent workshop) resides within an elegant 17th century townhouse – a building that remains home to ancient workbenches where generations of jewellers have sat. Here, Vuitton’s

craftsmanship is set to continue, using internationallyacquired precious stones.

Breeze past the light rosewood panelling and Havana leather walls that dominate inside (the work of architect Peter Maino) and one collection is particularly fitting: L’Ame du Voyage (the Spirit of Travel). Designed by Lorenz Bäumer, it is available in its third interpretation in Paris and was conceived to reflect the famous route a young Louis Vuitton took from the Arc de Triomphe to the Tuileries Gardens and, finally, the Place Vendôme.

One to watch when next in Paris.

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Very Versace The Ritz Paris set a glamorous backdrop to Atelier Versace Jewellery collection’s unveiling: one-of-a-kind, often handsculpted rings with yellow diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts and precious gemstones, aquamarine and citrine. versace.com

Palais de la Chance Van Cleef & Arpels looked to lady luck for its new high jewellery collection, ‘Palais de la chance’. The design house has a history filled with themes of luck, love and happiness, with dreamy creations which draw on whimsical symbols, from ladybirds and four-leaf clovers to fairies and unicorns. Its latest collection has three key themes – Your lucky star, Lucky-charm nature and Lucky legends. But the pieces filling us with lust are from the Ivy-inspired Lierre set. The necklace (above) bestows white gold, diamonds, black spinels, platinum and 52 oval-cut emeralds and weighs some 93.12 carats. (Look also to its jewelled ivy leaf-shaped clasp for an added lucky charm.) The design also harks back to Van Cleef & Arpel’s 1930s tradition of extravagant creations with rivers of oval-cut emeralds. A timeless buy. vancleef-arpels.com

GREEN WITH ENVY…

For enviable gems, look also to Devji Aurum’s ‘Passion’ (left) this month, a bangle and matching ring that comes encrusted in white and black diamonds and encircling sizeable Colombian emeralds.

She’s sure to sparkle... devjiaurum.com

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The world according to Daisy Lowe

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Words: Jon Wilde

The 23-year-old model on having an analytical mind, being covered in snakes and why googling yourself is a terrible idea

Modelling means being prepared to be covered in snakes. I’m fearless when I need to be. In my

work I’ve not been known to turn down a challenge.

I’ve posed naked quite a few times now, and that doesn’t bother me. I’ve done some mad shoots with the American photographer Steven Klein where I’ve hung off a giant crane and jumped into a tub of slime. Modelling is so much more interesting if I’m scared into doing adventurous things. It means I’m performing rather than just standing in front of a camera. I love throwing myself in at the deep end.

I recently did a shoot that involved four huge snakes slithering over my body. I spent the whole weekend fretting about it. On the day itself I didn’t want them to smell my fear in case they decided to bite me. So I got into my relaxed zone and actually enjoyed the experience. It helped that I had my dog, Monty, there to protect me. I would lay down my life for Monty.

Character skips generations. That theory definitely

applies to my family. It’s been well documented that my mum enjoyed a party or three. My grandmother isn’t remotely rock ’n’ roll. In fact, she’s the most organised person I’ve ever met. My great-greatgrandmother, however, was a bit of a wild thing and she played the violin in one of the first ever girl bands in the Twenties. I pretend to be rock ’n’ roll, but I’m not really. Maybe the only way I could rebel against my mum was to be as straight as possible. Logic would suggest that my kids will be total hellraisers, so God help me when I become a parent.

I’ve been financially independent from the age of 15. I get called an ‘It-girl’ all the time and I just

don’t get it. As I understand it, an It-girl lives off her parents’ money and spends her time shopping, partying and generally being frivolous. That’s not me.

I’ve been employed since I was a teenager and always had a strong work ethic. I’m not saying that modelling for a living is like working down a coal mine, but it doesn’t involve poncing around all day either.

‘Modelling is only my back-up career. What I really want to do is use science and logic to fight crime’

Modelling is only my back-up career – I always wanted to become a forensic scientist.

I’ve always had a very analytical mind and science was my favourite subject at school. I’ve always been fascinated by crime dramas like Jonathan Creek.

I loved the idea of using science and logic to fight crime. I haven’t completely ruled out the idea of doing something like that when I’m older.

Walking is one of life’s great pleasures.

When I moved to New York a few years ago, that’s when I got into walking in a big way. I never take a bus or a cab in New York. Everywhere is within walking distance and, because it’s built on a grid, it’s impossible to get lost. I love walking through foreign cities, soaking up the atmosphere and the culture. But I’d love to try something ambitious like the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. That would be five days well spent.

I’ve got a mean punch but I’ve not yet had to use it. I’ve got a long fuse. I’m more likely to get upset

than angry. One key to a contented life is to accept the things you don’t like about yourself and learn to love those traits. Hopefully, my flaws aren’t obvious to other people. You would need to go out with me for a while to notice them. But I’m not a high-maintenance girlfriend. I don’t have any really bad habits.

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye Text: Jon Wilde / Live Magazine / The Interview People

Happiness is not the destination; it’s the journey.

From an early age I realised possessions wouldn’t make me happy. What makes me happy is being creative and being surrounded by creative people.

I’m always waiting for the next great idea to be excited about. I look to someone like Vivienne Westwood for inspiration. She’s always creative, always original.

That takes courage.

I’ve planned my rebellious phase for when I hit 65. There’s something appealing about the idea

of growing old disgracefully. I can imagine myself wearing lots of bright colours and wide-brimmed hats, surrounded by dogs and children. The front door would always be open, so anyone who fancied it could drop round and be fed home-made gingerbread.

Technology is a two-sided coin. On the one hand

I couldn’t be without my smartphone. I’m away so much, so I’m constantly taking photos and sending them to my boyfriend. If I had to live without my phone I’d be completely lost. I love being connected.

We can’t go back and live like we used to, where every house had one phone and that was it. On the other hand it means complete strangers photograph me everywhere I go and all the time. I feel it’s best to be gracious in those situations. It’s not easy to be anonymous – it takes work. I’m more wised up about it now. If I wear a hooded jacket, I tend not to be recognised.

David Miliband and I share a bakery. I live in

Primrose Hill and people are used to seeing famous faces there. One morning I spotted him in the shop.

The only problem living around there is all the paparazzi – who are usually after pictures of me and my boyfriend together. That kind of attention is getting more and more intense. My response is to tell them to take their picture and let me get on with my day. Even then they can get quite aggressive.

I am Florence Nightingale. I’ve always been the

Mother Earth type. Looking after entire countries might be beyond me, but I’ve always got time to take care of friends and family. I’d happily comfort someone if they were distressed. Caring for people always came easily to me. I was always attentive to people’s needs. I was never jealous of the attention my younger siblings were getting. I didn’t need much attention myself.

Googling yourself is a terrible idea. I used to do it

all the time, but a year ago I made a rule that I would never again put my name in a search engine. Some people I know are obsessive about doing it. They read negative comments and it eats away at them.

WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S AIR enjoys a unique insight into the private world of the billionaire F1 supremo

Words: Ted Macauley - 42 -

B

ernie Ecclestone’s mischievous sense of humour strikes you even before you get to meet him. There is a mock-up stack of $10 million on a shelf in the waiting room, a few short strides from his sumptuous office in one of London’s most exclusive and expensive stretches of real estate. And it is usually what intrigued visitors to Number Six, Prince’s Gate, are studying when the little man, neatly suited, enters the room, offers the gentlest of papal two-fingers-only handshakes and says: “Ah, I see you have found where I keep my small change.”

There are myriad misconceptions about Formula One’s prime mover, but he cares little for the rights or wrongs of the opinions frequently aired worldwide. Ecclestone is well aware that his gaunt, unsmiling and crinkly face, topped by unruly and floppy silver hair, depicts a stern, immovable and resolute image that, in truth, is well distanced from the reality and the inner warmth of the man, a mystery to many outsiders, behind it.

That is not to say he is not one of the world’s most formidable and feared negotiators. His double billionaire (pounds sterling) status earned from successful dealings and negotiations with heads of state, tough international tycoons, global businesses and difficult Grand Prix luminaries, testifies to his wheeler-dealing skills and haggling ability in securing fortunes from wary, case-hardened money men.

At 81, despite a triple heart by-pass, there is no hint of a let-up in his energetic, 16-hours-working-day pursuit of excellence and worldwide exposure for his Formula

‘In reality I am a desperately shy guy’ One show in its 20-race season. Far from it. The tireless, restless man called variously The Ringmaster, The Supremo, The Boss and Bernie the Bolt, promises: “I won’t quit. You can be sure that I will have given it all up when they are lowering me into my grave. Not before. And they’d be advised to check inside the coffin, anyway, just in case I’m only kidding.”

She tried all the time, but not even his stunning former wife Slavica, 28 years younger and a foot taller than his 5ft 4ins, could persuade him to ease off and relax in the trappings of their immense wealth at their exclusive Chelsea Square mansion in London, enjoy his two jets, the $50 million yacht off Greece, their ritzy homes around the world, or the fine hotel in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad that he bought on a whim over lunch in its restaurant, because he simply liked the place.

They are now divorced, and Bernie currently lives with an attractive Brazilian lawyer, Fabiana Flosi, 50 years his junior, in the penthouse above his London HQ. “Nobody

has to remind me”, he says squinting with a lazy right eye through the steel-rimmed spectacles he wears because he is so short-sighted, “I know I look a miserable old soand-so – but I can’t help the face God gave me. But I am not anywhere near as ferocious as I appear to be.” Then without the remotest glimmer of humour he fixes you with a stare and avows: “What you should remember is that I am a good and true friend. But I am a real bad enemy.”

That’s his mantra, and there are many, many people who have good cause to remember his message from both standpoints. Not least those who have views opposed to his proposed scheme to float F1 for £6 billion on the Singapore stock exchange.

So, who is the real man behind the deadpan mask?

For this interview, the trawlerman’s son granted me a rare and unique insight into the private world that he so jealously preserves – a favour called in by me for a due debt he owed and was happy and duty-bound by his own standards to honour.

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After throwing in, off-handedly, the stunning revelation that he and former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore, one of his best friends, came close to bidding for Chelsea Football Club, and gave way to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who has since become a firm friend, he reveals he is now a soccer fan. Ecclestone attends most home games at Stamford Bridge. Abramovich, in return, gets Bernie’s VIP treatment at races like Monaco and Silverstone.

Ecclestone tells me: “Flavio and I were very serious about buying Chelsea, but it was very complicated and would have taken too much time to go through the books. I didn’t want to make it a battle with Abramovich and take him on at his own game, so I backed off. In the final analysis it may not have been such a bad thing for the club – I am so mean with my cash I wouldn’t have spent anywhere near the money he has in buying such fantastic players. And we might not have been champions.”

The sensational idea of buying either Manchester United or Liverpool instead fleetingly crossed his mind but he explains: “I am a Chelsea fan. and the idea of traipsing up and down, north and south, didn’t seem a sensible plan.

I much prefer to be just around the corner.

“I used to say that if the two greatest football teams on the planet were playing in my back yard I wouldn’t open the door to watch – but now I am hooked. I can’t stay away from Chelsea and I’ve taken my own plane often to watch them when they play abroad. Football, generally, I believe, is far more exciting than ever it used to be and Abramovich’s money and passion for the game has worked miracles at Chelsea.

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Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye

‘What you should remember is that I am a good and true friend.

But I am a real bad enemy’

“Players like David Beckham are a dream, a fantastic attraction all over the world. And as for his remarkable ability to generate money and sponsorships… wow... I just wish he could drive a Formula One car. Maybe I’ll get one of the teams to give him a test.”

Ecclestone did have a brief flirtation with football team ownership, but it ended when he and Briatore sold on their controlling interest in Queens Park Rangers after just a couple of years.

What about turning points in his career? “Without doubt,” he says, “making that £1 million donation to Tony Blair’s New Labour rocketed my face to the forefront of public gaze. The furore it caused just wasn’t worth it, and my motives were completely misunderstood and misinterpreted. But it made me famous – no, infamous – overnight. Nobody had ever heard of me before that and nobody outside F1 knew what I looked like. I suddenly went from being a paragraph on the sports pages of the tabloids to a headline villain leading the TV news.

“I genuinely believed in Blair and thought he was a great guy. I supported what he aimed to do when, and if, he got into power. I had met him at the British Grand Prix and liked him and I wanted to help his campaign. That’s why I put in my million. I had paid tax on the money – I pay all my taxes all the time – I had earned it. It was mine.

I could do what I liked with it. I didn’t want any favours, any special treatment for F1 or to buy titles, knighthoods or lordships for myself, I just wanted to give him a boost.

He didn’t need to open his mouth, but he did and there was uproar.” Blair’s Downing Street office returned the cheque, and it lingered in Bernie’s in-tray for six weeks before he remembered to bank it.

What about national honours, recognition for sterling work, millions of pounds of business for Britain’s economy, employment for 50,000, worldwide recognition for the country through his efforts and promotional brilliance, the advancement globally of the highest of profile sports? Lesser deserving figures, pop singers, showbiz celebs, mostly self-serving, had been recommended by Prime Minister Blair and dubbed by the Queen. Not Bernie. Not even the lowliest MBE. He says: “All around the world I have been honoured, without asking, by grateful governments. And that makes me feel proud. But, really, honours at home don’t interest me. And I certainly would not want a statue being put up in my memory - not knowing what pigeons do on them.

“Have I ever been offered a title or an honour of any sort?

I’m not saying. And I am not revealing whether I have ever turned one down.

“Whatever I am, whatever my reputation, I can’t help.

And sometimes, I know, I come out looking bad. But in reality I am a desperately shy guy, proud of my two lovely daughters, who just wants to work and work hard until my last breath.

“I will never, ever, retire. This is where it will all stop for me, sitting behind this desk, where I will keel over and die.”

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Piece of Blake

1.

Traditional tailoring with a rock star twist, Gresham Blake’s bespoke and made-to-measure clothing has won him devoted celebrity clientele – six of whom line up here to showcase his creations - 46 -

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5.

Eddie Izzard wears a white barathea suit from the White Knights range, which will be auctioned for charity later this year.

2.

Norman Cook wears a singlebreasted, three-button, dark-blue, 9oz worsted ‘Prince of Wales’ suit from the Albion collection.

3.

Dylan Jones wears the ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ tie, designed for the charity Clic Sargent.

4.

Christian Slater wears a bespoke 18oz cashmere two-piece overcoat.

5.

Ray Winstone wears a lightweight flannel three-piece bespoke suit.

6.

Steve Coogan wears a singlebreasted, two-button, chocolate suit from the Sussex range, with ‘Baby Cow’ tie.

Photography: David Ellis

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THE GREATEST Whenever the question of who is football’s best ever player is posed, the ensuing debate can be brought to an abrupt conclusion with the revelation of this fact:

PelĂŠ, 1366 matches, 1283 goals.

AIR sat down with the man born Edson Arantes do Nascimento as the build up to the next World Cup in Brazil begins

Words: Mustapha Kessous - 53 -

What does the 2014 World Cup in Brazil represent for you as its official ambassador?

I don’t want to give the impression that I am the World Cup. The most important thing is the image of my country and its inf luence throughout the world. I remember no one really knew about Brazil in 1958 when I went to Europe.

When I arrived at the training camp in Switzerland where the World Cup was being held, the Brazilian flag had a circle instead of the diamond. From then on, I have had just one wish for the World Cup: to use it to help my people, my country.

What image of Brazil do you want to show the world?

Brazil is the fifth most powerful country in the world!

But I would like there to be less poverty and more social equality. After the World Cup, there will be the Olympic Games in 2016. The government and the people must make the most of these important occasions to modernise the country. These two events will consolidate the changes already underway. We want to make sure that the income from the World Cup and the Olympics is shared amongst all the population. We have to do a good job. This will give investors the confidence to come to Brazil: we have lots of space, land and minerals. Now is the time to invest here!

What could stop investors from believing in Brazil?

It is the political differences in the country that worry us.

They could endanger the work currently underway to make the World Cup a success. These internal political problems can also lead to corruption and excessive spending.

Spending too much on the construction of the stadiums is out of the question because the money is coming from the people. We cannot afford to find ourselves with these ‘white elephants’ which won’t have any use after the World Cup. We will need to make the most of this opportunity in order to build schools and universities that will actually be of use afterwards.

How can you fight against corruption?

I have a lot of trust in [President] Dilma Rousseff. She has been in power just over a year, and she has already gotten rid of many ministers. This is the first time in the history of Brazil that so many politicians have been ousted from government for corruption. The fight must continue…

Brazilian football is also being undermined by corruption …

There is some cleaning up to be done, but not only in Brazilian football. Now is the time to clean things up, from the top of FIFA down to the bottom.

How would you explain the fact that Brazilian football is no longer at the top of the world rankings?

The best Brazilian players develop in Europe. Brazilian clubs have sold far too many players: all the top ones go abroad. This means that the national team doesn’t have

enough time to play together. This is proof of the bad management of football. If the top teams, like Flamengo, Corinthians and Vasco, were better run, they wouldn’t need to sell their players all the time. However, our training works well. We just need to keep the young players in the country for longer.

You were Minister for Sports between 1995 and 1998.

What did you take away from that experience?

I was very proud of that; I freed Brazilians footballers from slavery. Before I took the post, the player belonged completely to his club: he wasn’t free to transfer, even at the end of his contract. And when some clubs had no money left, they would go to the bank and say: “I will give you my player.” They treated the players like merchandise, like slaves. Fortunately, thanks to Henrique Cardozo who was president at the time, this situation ended in 1996. But we need to go even further. We need to further limit the role of agents, who are given too much importance.

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‘No one really knew about Brazil in 1958 when I went to Europe... I have just one wish for the World Cup: to use it to help my people, my country’

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‘We don’t need to compare people...

Football changes, records are made to be broken, but it will be difficult to beat mine’

So, is Messi better than you?

It is difficult to say: football lovers would say “He is the man of the moment”. Some will say Beethoven didn’t know how to play the piano, others will say Michelangelo didn’t know how to paint, and Pelé didn’t know how to play football. But we all received a gift from God. When Messi has scored 1283 goals as I have and wins three World Cups, we’ll talk about it again. We don’t need to compare people.

Football changes, records are made to be broken, but it will be difficult to beat mine. People ask me all the time “When will the next Pelé be born?” Never! My mother and father have closed the factory.

Do you think that you have contributed to changing the image of black people?

Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye Text: Mustapha Kessous / LE MONDE / Worldcrunch / The Interview People

Is there too much money in modern football?

No. The only difference with my era is that today there are sponsors involved. The true question is not about money, but who is the best player in the world.

And who is the best player in the world?

Today? I like Messi. He’s a top player.

What differentiates you from him?

There are some big differences. Technically, we are at practically the same level. With me, nobody ever knew which foot I was going to use: I played with both. I also scored lots of goals with headers. Messi’s left foot is good, but his right foot is better. He is a very good player at Barcelona, but when he plays with the Argentinian national team he doesn’t have the same level of success.

I also think [Brazil’s] Neymar, who plays for Santos, has the possibility of becoming a top player. He is very strong with both feet, very intelligent. This comparison of styles makes me think of Platini, who was a very good player, but Cruyff was quicker.

Yes, I think so. There were two occasions in particular.

The 1958 World Cup, when the King of Sweden came down onto the pitch: for the first time in history, there was a photo taken of him shaking hands with a black man.

That image was seen worldwide. The second event was when Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain knighted me; that sent a very important message. Something else also happened to me: in 1975, my contract with Santos ended and Henry Kissinger, then US Secretary of State, came to see me to say: “You have to come to the United States to develop football.” And, in the US, there was racism.

I think that my presence on the Cosmos in New York helped to change things. One last anecdote: I went to play in Zaire in 1969 with Santos. The civil war there stopped for our match. At the time, there was no internet, but everyone found out what happened.

And yet, you have been insulted on the pitch in the past, haven’t you?

Many times, and I took my revenge by scoring two extra goals for every insult. Players apologised after the incident.

I have insulted players as well, but it was never racist.

With all the media coverage and the internet, we just talk about it a lot more.

How would you like people to remember you?

You know, Pelé is the most famous name in the world. I can go anywhere; if I’m looking for a job, I will find one. More seriously, after my death, I would like people to remember that I was a good person who always wanted to unite people and draw communities together. And for them to remember me as… a good player.

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MOTORING

Time Machine

After five years of development, Pagani is ready to unleash its latest model, the Huayra – the second car from the brand in a 20-year period. So is it worth the wait?

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agani is a brand that clearly likes to take its time. Its first car, the Zonda, made its debut in 1999, seven years after the Italian company was founded.

Produced in very small numbers and hand-built, the Zonda turned out to be a car worth waiting for, with a look inspired by jet fighters and a midmounted Mercedes-Benz V12 engine providing plenty of power and torque.

A number of derivatives followed over the years – mainly with tweaks to the design or engine – but it would not be until 2012 that Pagani would release its true second model, the Huayra.

First impressions of the new car may include the realisation that its name is a lot harder to say, although it is actually pronounced ‘Why-rah’, after the ancient South American wind god, Huayra-tata, believed by tribesmen to transforminto a whirlwind. This association is Pagani’s way of telling us that the Huayra is very fast – and with a 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 370kph, the name seems very apt.

Of course, Pagani is a brand no stranger to high performance. In 2010, the company claimed a new record for a production car when a Zonda R completed a lap of the Nürburgring track in Germany in just six minutes, 47 seconds – 11 seconds faster than the previous best set by a Ferrari 599XX. And that car only had a top speed of 349kph, which must surely be making enthusiasts wonder what the Huayra will be capable of when it eventually hits the circuit.

But at least the performance of Pagani’s cars is faster than the time it takes for one to reach the showroom.

It took five years just to perfect the design of the Huayra, and now that the car is in production it will take lengthy periods for the factory to create each of the components – carving the name badge from a single block of aluminium, for example, takes 24 hours, while the cover for the Mercedes engine takes around five days of machining. Pagani aims

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Price guide: US$1.15 million plus taxes 0-100 kph: 3.5 secs Top speed: 370 kph Power: 700 bhp Torque: 740 lb.ft

to build no more than 40 Huayras each year, ensuring it meets the highest standards and level of detail – reassuring for its customers, who will be paying around US$1.5 million for the cars.

So what else is on offer for the money? There may be a few cosmetic similarities with the outgoing Zonda – such as the headlamps and the centrally-mounted quad exhaust – but the Huayra is very different

when looking at the finer details.

It is incredibly light thanks to an all-new carbon-titanium monocoque frame (essentially carbon-fibre with titanium strands weaved in for added strength). It even uses a different clutch and gearbox system to that usually favoured by modern sports cars just to shave a little more off the weight, despite some critics saying that the single-clutch arrangement used will not be as smooth.

Another difference is the beefedup engine. Pagani is sticking with Mercedes-Benz to supply these, but the Huayra has a six-litre V12 with two turbochargers strapped to it, modified slightly to reduce turbo lag and improve response, but still producing nearly 700 bhp. The engine of the Zonda and the noise it made were almost considered the true essence of the car, but company founder Horacio Pagani was intent

Images: Supplied

‘It’s a package that excels in terms of manufacturing and performance’

on the Huayra having a character of its own. “This car required an engine that reflected the spirit we wanted to give,” he said in an online interview.

“It wasn’t just performance and torque figures we were after – the noise had to be like a jet unleashing all of its power the moment before take-off.”

The active aerodynamics will also impress. Gone are the wings and spoilers that glued the Zonda to the road, replaced by four individually-

moveable flaps in each corner. Managed by a dedicated control unit receiving information from the ABS braking system and ECU (engine control unit), the flaps behave in a similar way to ailerons on a plane. That means moving inwards if the car is travelling in a straight line, but protruding when cornering to increase downforce.

The gullwing doors are another new addition, and popping one open will reveal a sumptuous leather interior

with intricate aluminium finishes. It’s an overall package that excels in terms of manufacturing and performance, and will no doubt please enthusiasts just as much as the Zonda, if not more if it starts to shatter the original car’s impressive speed records. And that’s exactly the kind of vehicle Pagani needs in its ranks – with the amount of time it takes for the company to design, test and then build, it’s sure to be a while before we see a successor.

GASTRONOMY

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Making the Cut Are gruelling hours, fraying tempers and macho kitchens the reason why most Michelin-star chefs are men? AIR finds out what it takes to chop your way to the top – from the women who have done just that

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Words: Laura Binder

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et’s bow to facts: most Michelin star chefs are men. When it comes to the matter of female chefs, then, how many star-studded monikers are at the tip of your tongue? Besides those household names, that is: an ever-reliable Delia Smith (my mother can’t get enough of her cook books), a delicious Nigella Lawson and even the odd model-turned-chef (the wideeyed Sophie Dahl is now a fully-blown cookery author, don’t you know?). But of world-class Michelin-star women chefs, only a handful may spring to mind – Angela Hartnett, Skye Gyngell, Anne-Sophie Pic… Many would argue, then, that professional kitchens are a man’s world: an industry where women are cooks and men are chefs.

For the moment at least.

Britain’s Angela Hartnett was among the first of our generation to break the mould and hit the fame stakes: in the 1990s, Hartnett was the only woman in the predictably macho kitchen of Gordon Ramsay’s Aubergine – a kitchen that was referred to as “Vietnam” (she was told she wouldn’t last the week) and a place where she was nicknamed (by Ramsay) Dizzy Lizzy. She sure showed them: head chef of The Connaught in 2002 (one shocked customer reportedly rang to ask if she was “still there”), her first Michelin star in 2004, an MBE in 2007 and owner of Mayfair’s Murano in 2008, she’s now one of Britain’s most famous chefs.

Yet, she remains in the minority: last year 11 women won Michelin stars in the UK – a record breaking amount – though it was of some 143 restaurants.

So, is the ‘heat’ of the kitchen just too much for most women to bear?

“Working in restaurants can be gruelling it’s true,” says Florence Knight – head chef of London Soho’s hip Polpetto, “but, as they say, ‘if you can’t stand the heat...’. I’ve worked in kitchens since I was 17 and I’ve worked with some amazingly talented and tough people [among them, Raymond Blanc] so for me it’s been a highly

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‘I’ve never changed myself. I am who I am and I am a girl. It just makes me stand out more’ rewarding experience. If you expect an easy 9-to-5 life then you’d be in the wrong business.”

It’s a fair philosophy: after all, professional kitchens are famed for their unforgiving hours and relentless pursuit of perfection, not to mention the kind of tension you can cut with a knife. One woman who knows what it takes to scale the heights of gastronomic acclaim is Anne-Sophie Pic – owner of La Maison Pic, she is the only female chef in France to earn three Michelin stars, and the fourth in history. “From the day I entered the kitchen, it’s been my motivation.

It’s a tribute to my father [Jacques Pic] and grandfather” – both of whom were three-Michelin-star chefs.

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GASTRONOMY Her early career brought blood, sweat and tears after her father’s sudden death left an unprepared Pic in the kitchens of La Maison Pic – she stayed just nine months, “because I hadn’t found my place there”, before returning in 1997 and presiding over the kitchen from thereon-in. She now has 80 employees there, runs the two-Michelin-star kitchen of Beau Rivage Palace, set up a culinary workshop ‘Scook’ and will open her new Parisian restaurant, La Dame de Pic, this September.

It’s tiring just hearing about it.

“Men or women, I don’t think that the cooking is related to our gender,” says Pic. “But I guess some women have to give up their activity when they build their own family because they don’t have the chance to get support to manage both.”

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‘Men or women, I don’t think that the cooking is related to our gender’ Elena Arzak, though – joint head chef of San Sebastian’s Arzak and winner of San Pellegrino’s Best Female Chef 2012 award – recognises the notion of men as chefs and women as at-home cooks. “Always women have been cooking, but the directors or the famous chefs, they have been men,” she says in a deliciously thick Spanish accent. “Women used to work a lot at home, but little by little the work of women is being socialised, so they have come out of the kitchens of the home, being a director, being responsible, in charge.”

Each woman shows an ingrained determination too, to succeed against any possible odds; being the only woman in a kitchen a case in point: “At the beginning of my career, I must admit that I had to make more efforts than anybody, just by being a woman,” recalls Pic. “My method was obvious and simple: I worked hard to reach my goal.”

Up-and-coming Knight, meanwhile, found standing firm was the best route to respect: “I’ve never changed

Anne-Sophie Pic Trio of dishes from La Maison Pic 3. Florence Knight 4. Elena Arzak 5-7. Basque haute cuisine by Arzak 8. La Maison Pic, Valence

Images: Supplied

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myself,” she muses, “I am who I am and I’m a girl. It just makes me stand out more.” And the long hair, wide sky-blue eyes and pint-size frame have never proved an issue when decked out in her chef whites? She laughs: “As a female head chef, I don’t have a problem with my own crew, but the reaction from the delivery drivers can be quite funny.”

Arzak, meanwhile, says her gender was never an issue when working in Europe’s top kitchens (El Bulli, Bras and Pierre Gagnaire, Le Gavroche, Monaco’s Louis XI, the list goes on...), and especially not at home: “Where I live [San Sebastian] has always been a matriarchal place – where a woman has a lot of power,” she says.

Indeed, it was Arzak’s grandmother Francisca Arratibel (her father’s mother) who was both the chef and director of Arzak, before Elena’s father took over – Michelin-star chef Juan Mari with whom she co-chefs today.

“When my father was young there were lots of women in the restaurant

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too,” she says. “Today, at Arzak 80% are women. So, I grew up in an atmosphere where in the restaurant having women working was normal.

I was always in a good situation, so I never had to question myself if I was a man or a woman chef.”

Chatting to each chef, another common thread unravels – an ingrained passion for food. “My taste developed almost without my knowing it, as a result of my close relationship with my parents, the kitchen and its staff,” Pic recalls. “When I was a kid, after school, the pastry chef offered me his choux à la crème. That was it. But, most of all, I remember the special aroma of the kitchen. I would always dip into the big copper pots of crayfish that were on the stove.”

Add to the mix an unwavering commitment to the cause: good gastronomy (Elena has me hanging on for minutes while she counts the hours she’s worked that week – “it’s more than a job, it’s a way of life”).

And, the final ingredient: rising above the male majority. After all, it is 2012, isn’t it? “The quality of the dishes we serve is my only preoccupation,” states Pic, brushing off any sexual divides as irrelevant. But, does she think she runs her kitchen differently to her male predecessors? “To me, the atmosphere in the kitchen has to be serene. I want my team to blossom out, even if the high standards of our job infer a certain tension.”

Collectively, such qualities, along with sublime cooking (a matter they are admirably modest about) have taken these women to the industry’s peak. “I think that the association of my culinary heritage and my feminine cooking brought me at the top of the Michelin,” observes Pic. And if this trio of talent is anything to go by, the male of the species should watch their stars. “I think there are a lot of young, talented women coming through,” muses Knight, “and we have great icons in women like Angela Hartnett and Skye Gyngell.”

Indeed, Pic couldn’t summarise the matter better herself: “In a kitchen, I am not a woman, I am a chef.”

TRAVEL

Southern belle How a US lawyer placed an all-but-forgotten Tuscan village back on the map

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t was always a beautiful setting: Castiglioncello del Trinoro, a sleepy south Tuscan village steeped in history, drenched in greenery and set in the Val d’Orcia region – a UNESCO world heritage site, no less. Yet the village has lain all but forgotten for decades, bar a few locals and more than a few sheep. Until, that is, Michael Cioffi – an American lawyer – took on what can only be described as a labour of love: “I fell in love with the Val d’Orcia in my youth and Castiglioncello del Trinoro when I first saw the village nearly a decade ago,” he tells AIR. His mission to rebuild the nearabandoned medieval village began in 2004 with just one crumbling building (“to which my family could escape during the year”), before renovations spread village-wide (“before I knew it, one building led to the acquisition and renovation of another…”).

Eight painstaking years later, the result is The Hotel at Monteverdi: a seven-bedroom hotel, trio of villas, a newly-restored 12th-century chapel and a casual eatery, Caffè, which takes products from farm to plate.

Go there today (you’ll be among the first to do so, doors having only opened this month) and you’ll find its medieval charm intact, along with new, stylish interiors; the work of Rome interior designer Ilaria Miani (no doubt the first woman to introduce ‘micro jets’ to the hamlet’s bathrooms). “My favourite feature is the 500-year-old wooden beam that appears above the glass-enclosed rain showerhead in one of the bathrooms,” muses Cioffi. Something he cites as a “seamless fusion of the ancient coexisting with the modern day…”

Such a marriage continues throughout the property in the form

of regionally-harvested materials – Tuscan flagstone, granite, Carrara marble, local woods... “We are sourcing all of our produce and goods (such as line and structural beams) locally,” confirms Cioffi.

Check in to one of its seven rooms and you’ll be struck by the luxe simplicity, space and surrounds (windows bestow beautiful rural views). If you’re travelling in numbers, look to the Villas at Monteverdi, which come with two- to six-bedrooms and a private chef. Tuscan fare rarely tasted better.

City types will be pleased to learn that such verdant surrounds won’t place you in sheer isolation. Cioffi reels off the recent effects of the area’s revitalisation; Tenuta di Tronoro (a famed vineyard), Dopolavoro (“a lovely restaurant by the owners of the

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15th-century La Foce Gardens”), hip villa La Bandita, Perila design caffe and the odd cultural event (the annual Incontri classical music festival and Sarteano’s jazz and blues being most of note).

On site, meanwhile, Cioffi’s modern ideals have brought a few firsts to the village, in the form of a yoga teacher (ask for private classes), spa therapists (request an in-room massage) swimming pool, lavender garden and cuisine cooked up by a Locanda Locatelli-trained chef.

“We also have plans to create a gallery and artist studio so as to accommodate a rotating artist-inresidency program,” reveals Coiffi.

The overall effect is a rural retreat in which to relax, or, as Coiffi puts it: “a perfect escape for the mind, the soul, and the stomach.”

A site for sore eyes UNESCO awarded World Heritage Status to eight new sites last month; AIR picks three within reach of luxury hotels so you can sightsee then retire in style

Site: The Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea, Rio de Janeiro Stay: Copacabana Palace Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced at this1920s hotel in Flying Down to Rio – since which stars and royalty have stepped through its palatial doors. Do likewise and dine in Cipriani by night and lounge on the hotel’s poolside daybeds by day.

(Beautiful Brazilians spend their time posing, not swimming).

Site: Site of Neolithic settlement Çatalhöyük, Turkey Stay: Rixos, Konya The only five-star hotel of its kind in Konya, there is literally no better place to retreat to after perusing its newly-declared UNESCO site at nearby Çatalhöyük. Its two presidential suites are the only rooms worth their weight and come complete with a Jacuzzi (sink in after a day’s sightseeing) and space for those travelling with family in tow.

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Site: Chengjiang fossil site, China Stay: Songstam lodges, Yunnan Province It’s not an easy site to find, but after a first-hand look at China’s fossilised history, make for Lijang (a 50-minute flight) and hide away in one of Songstam’s four secluded lodges, our pick of which is Songstam Tacheng for its setting immersed in brilliant green rice terraces and within spying distance of endangered Yunnan golden monkeys.

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Postcards from

Los Angeles 1.

One of LA’s most iconic strips, Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame features the monikers of over 2,000 stars. Actress Joanne Woodward was the first to be honoured in 1960, and has since been joined by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Ray Charles – and, most recently, Slash of Guns N’ Roses fame.

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Built in 1923 as an advert for the Hollywoodland real estate development, the famous sign was originally designed to last just 18 months. Eight decades later, however, it’s still standing strong.

The ‘land’ suffix was removed in 1949, and the 45ft letters now symbolise the enduring glamour of LA’s film industry.

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When Audrey Hepburn went up to collect her 1954 Best Actress Oscar for Roman Holiday, she wore her ‘lucky dress’ – a simple design modified by Givenchy – that she had also donned for the film’s final scene. Last year, the dress was sold for $130,700 to a collector at auction.

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A vision of red lanterns, dragons, and gold trimmings at every turn, Grauman’s Chinese Theater epitomises Tinseltown kitcsh – and its hallowed auditorium has seated everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jennifer Aniston.

It’s still the top spot for all the big premieres, and the forecourt features hand (as well as foot and nose) prints from all the legends.

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Home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Walt Disney Concert Hall cuts a striking figure on the LA skyline.

Its steel curves were devised by Frank Gehry.

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In 1985, LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson led his team to the NBA Finals, where they faced arch rivals Boston Celtics. The Lakers had lost all eight previous Finals meetings with the Celtics, but this time won out winners by four games to two, becoming the first team in history to win the Finals on Boston’s home court.

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Movie fans have long been lured to the bright lights of Universal Studios Hollywood; now a fully-blown theme park, the site is famed for its outlandish rollercoasters and studio tours.

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Every year, Hollywood Boulevard is over-run with crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of that year’s Oscar nominees. The night of the 1956 Academy Awards was no different. Delbert Mann’s Marty was the star of the show: the film received the gong for Best Picture, Mann was declared Best Director, and Ernest Borgnine scooped Best Actor – pipping James Dean, Frank Sinatra, James Cagney and Spencer Tracy.

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Images: Corbis / Arabian Eye; Shutterstock

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TRAVEL

BUCKET LIST NO.7 Northern Lights, Alaska

Nature’s most outlandish light show starts this month – and, according to NASA, it’ll be the brightest for over half a century. Steeped in myth and legend, the Northern Lights have long hypnotised all those who witness them: a rainbow of wisps dance across the sky, the glows of green, purple and red illuminating a snow-covered canvas. They’ve been attributed to fairies, deities and aliens, but the science is simple: as a cascade of solar particles collides with Earth’s atmosphere, the energy is released as light, and an eerie blaze stretches across the skies.

The phenomenon spreads throughout the northern hemisphere, but the more remote the destination, the more sensational the show. Venture to Alaska for the clearest skies; fly in to Anchorage, then head out with a guide to the frozen hilltops outside of town. It’s a journey to be reckoned with, but an ethereal spectacle waits.

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Cannes Do

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here’s something magical about Cannes – a trait that’s perhaps best attributed to the glamour-drenched Cannes Film Festival, where hoards of Hollywood’s biggest stars pose ocean-side on an annual basis. Alas, the stars of the silver screen left in May, pleasingly leaving plenty of space (and far fewer paparazzi) for the upcoming Festival de la Plaisance de Cannes (translation: the Cannes Boat Show). Of course, ‘boat show’ is a somewhat modest description of what is arguably the most esteemed event on the yachting calendar. It’s now in

its 35th year, and sea-faring enthusiasts can make for the sparkling waters between September 11 and 16.

Once there, head to its famous Croisette, where some 500 boats (the biggest of which spans 50 metres) will be displayed across the Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto.

Those in the market for a new vessel should make for the former port, where the newest models will be on show – inspiration for your next sea sojourn. And when you’re not yacht-shopping, our advice is to saunter to Le Suquet, take a pew at one of the many great restaurants which line it, and watch the city go by… salonnautiquecannes.com

To bed down at the best abode on the French Riviera, only one of these coveted hotels will do...

Hotel Majestic Barrière’s reputation precedes it: Fouquet’s brasserie serves up fine French cuisine and the hotel places 2,000 square metres of French designer boutiques at your fingertips. In fact, why not reserve the hotel’s Christian Dior suite? So chic. Everyone from De Niro to Depp has stayed at Hotel du Cap Eden Roc during the Cannes Film Festival, but they weren’t the first to put it on the map – the white palatial build dates to 1870 and retains a timeless style.

Le Mas Candille is a real sanctuary – its ocean-facing pool is a pleasure to retreat to, while rooms are rustic-yetluxe (it was formerly an 18th-century farmhouse) with four-poster beds.

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LIFE LESSONS I have found that if your primary goal as a leader is to make people proud, everything else will fall in to place.

I have learned that if my colleagues are truly proud of the company then turnover decreases and productivity increases. In turn, if my customers are proud of their association with the brand, they will keep coming back!

Everyone in a company wants to have their contribution recognised and valued. I started out with a weekend job washing dishes in the kitchens of a hotel aged 14, and I was as proud to do that job then as I am to be CEO of an amazing hotel company today. There is no such thing as ‘little people’ or ‘menial jobs’ in a successful organisation – everybody is valuable.

I have learned that great businesses grow by concentrating on driving revenues, not by simply cutting costs. Effective selling is not rocket science – it is quite simply ensuring that we can always say yes to two critical questions: “Are we asking for business?” And “are we easy to do business with?” Concentrate on those and the revenues will flow.

The expression ‘work/life balance’ has become a cliché, but it is vital to maintaining health and happiness, personally and corporately. My family is the most important aspect of my life, and everything I do is for them.

I believe absolutely in the value of people saying “please” and “thank you” at every opportunity. Seniority is not an excuse to abandon good manners. Treating everyone with respect should be the primary guiding principal of every organisation.

I firmly believe that you can excel at leadership but you cannot lead by Excel! Sitting in an office sending out spreadsheets and memos is not leadership. Being out in the business, meeting colleagues and customers is the only way to understand what is really happening, and in my experience successful leaders are ‘visible’ leaders.

WHAT I KNOW NOW Bill Walshe

CEO Viceroy Hotel Group

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www.piaget.com PIAGET BOUTIQUES: Abu Dhabi: Avenue at Etihad Towers, 02 667 0044 Dubai: The Dubai Mall, 04 339 8222 - Wafi New Extension, 04 327 9000 Dubai: Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Atlantis 04 422 0233, Burj Al Arab, 04 348 9000 Burjuman Centre, 04 355 9090, Mall of the Emirates, 04 341 1211